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pushing500 · 6 months

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The Ship

It's been a long time coming, but it's time for us to say goodbye to The Animist Alliance and the story of Eureka. Who would have thought that a colony I started because I was feeling sick and uncomfortable one day would grow into something so fun? I've had a grand time sharing this story with you all, and I hope you've had fun following the adventure.

Speaking of stories, I tried my hand at writing one for the ending! It's a bit long, so I'll stick it under a break, but I hope you like it. Thank you to everybody who's enjoyed my art and my colony, I've had so much fun making these posts. I can't wait to do more!

So, without further ado...

Tap, tap, tap.

Irwin’s pencil bumped against the clipboard in a thoughtful rhythm as he scowled at the list before him.

“There are twenty-nine people in this colony.” He said, his voice cutting through the silence, “Twenty-nine people, eighty animals, but only eighteen cryptosleep caskets. At the very least, eleven people will have to stay behind.”

“More than that, if we want any of the animals to make it off this planet!” Kawoo piped up, “It would be a shame to leave them all behind after we’ve been through so much together. Anybody with a bonded animal should be allowed to take them on the ship, don’t you think?”

“If there’s room.” Irwin stopped tapping the pencil for a moment to scribble something on the clipboard, “Here, I’ve narrowed the choice down.” He looked up, scanning the gathered colonists until he found who he was looking for— the small group of uncertain newcomers huddled towards the back of the crowd, “Gracie, Hot Minute, Grump, Kelorul, and Jesse. You’ll be staying behind.”

“What?!”

Predictably, it was Grump who exploded. She had a hair-trigger temper, and when she wasn’t trying to destroy the technology around the colony, she could be found trying to pick a fight with one of the men. Irwin seemed to be a favourite target of hers, perhaps due to his powerful position as the Moral Guide of the Path of Animism. “Why do we have to stay behind? Who do you think you are to make us sit down and watch as the rest of you all get to leave this steaming pile of—”

Irwin’s gaze snapped toward her, a dangerous glint in his eyes. He rolled the pencil back and forth between his fingertips for a few long moments, and Grump calmed herself quickly as she recognised the all-too-familiar expression.

Irwin only looked at people like that before he reached underneath his duster for the sturdy grip of his persona zeushammer, Xanxalbur.

“You’re staying behind because I don’t like you,” He told her, making no effort to soften the impact of his words. He never did. “You’re all newcomers. None of you have earned a place on the ship.”

“We got the AI Core, didn’t we?” said Hot Minute indignantly, “You never would have finished the ship without us! Well, without Grump, Gracie, Kelorul and me.” Grump, Gracie and Kelorul murmured in agreement.

“No, I suppose not.” Irwin shrugged and tapped the pencil against the clipboard again.

Tap, tap, tap.

“So… Can we go on the ship?” Gracie asked finally, after several moments of silence broken only by the pencil tapping against the clipboard.

“No.” Irwin squinted at the clipboard and crossed something else out, “Eva, you can’t go either.”

“I can’t?” Eva looked up from the tray of nutrient paste she had been quietly eating, “What’s wrong with me specifically?”

“We’re not convinced you’re human, that’s what’s wrong.” Albina stepped up beside Irwin and peered at the list in his hands, “That does narrow our choices down, but there’s still so many of us.”

“I’ll narrow it some more!” Debby stomped over and linked arms with Eva, “I don’t care if you think she’s a mime! I’m staying with her! I don’t want to go on your stupid ship!”

“Alright, then. Suit yourself.” Irwin made a note on his clipboard, and Albina nodded her approval.

“Irwin, if Debby is staying…” Brennan slunk forward, her eyes rimmed with dark circles. It was clear she hadn’t been sleeping well since her abrupt divorce, “May I claim the first spot on the ship? I… I don’t think I can stand to stay here. Not with…” She glanced over her shoulder to where Debby and Eva stood side-by-side, “Not with some people. Please let me leave.”

“This ship wouldn’t have been possible without you, Brennan. If anybody deserves a spot, it’s you.” Irwin offered her one of his rare smiles, “Alright. Seventeen cryptosleep caskets left.”

“Well, then, let me say something.” Zonovo shoved past Hazrov and Vu to glare at Irwin, “Either that thing leaves on the ship, or I do!” As he delivered his ultimatum, he pointed accusingly at the pulmonoscorpius skittering around by the kitchen.

Frisbee was one of Kawoo’s beloved pets, but it was a well-known fact around Eureka that Zonovo could not stand the sight of the giant scorpion. His shrieks of terror were such a regular occurrence that nobody batted an eyelid anymore.

Irwin and Albina exchanged glances, and Irwin’s pencil returned to its nervous tapping.

Tap, tap, tap.

“If he wants to go on the ship, I won’t stop him.” said Albina after a moment, “Some people go to such extreme measures to run from their fears.”

“How can any of you stand to live in such close proximity to that monstrous—” Zonovo began to bristle with anger, but a hand on his arm stopped him before he could start a social fight.

“If Zonovo is going, I’m going.” Baz squeezed his husband’s shoulder and grinned, “You wouldn’t break up marriages over this ship, would you?”

“We wouldn’t dream of it. Irwin, put their names down next to each other. They can have adjacent caskets.” Albina watched Irwin take his notes, then glanced up, “Speaking of marriages… Wookshys, do you want a spot on the ship?”

“You’ll have a spot if you want one.” Irwin promised, “It’s the least we can do, especially considering how you’ve been treated around here.”

“I’ll follow wherever Albina goes.” Wookshys’ laugh was deep and rich, and it rumbled in his chest as he shook his head and wagged his tail cheerfully, “If she stays, I’ll stay. If she goes, I’ll go. I only want to be with her.” He caught Albina’s eye and winked at her.

“Up to you, then, our fearless leader. Do you want to leave?” Irwin’s pencil hovered over the list of names as he looked at Albina. She hesitated, then lifted her head and stared across the colony to where she could see the faintest glimmer of light where the Anima tree stood.

Albina spent the majority of her time by the Anima tree. She spoke of it like it was a beloved sister, and she smiled as she looked at it now.

“No.” She murmured, “No, I think I’ll stay. I can’t bear the idea of leaving the tree behind.”

“Excellent!” beamed Wookshys, “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to cope on a spaceship anyway. There's not much fishing to be done in a vacuum, from what I’ve heard. I’d much prefer to stay here.”

“Yes, I think you’ll find more joy here than drifting in the void.” agreed Irwin, “So, that’s three spots gone already. Brennan, Zonovo, and Baz. Fifteen caskets left. Any takers?”

“I’d like to humbly request a spot, please.” Candlelight raised one hand and smiled, “I have very much enjoyed my time here, but I miss being among my own people. This looks like the best chance I’ll get at returning to them, so I’d like to take the chance before it’s gone.”

Irwin nodded as he made the necessary notes, then glanced back up as someone blew a low whistle.

“Well…” Wendy sighed and cracked the knuckles on her right hand, the one which wasn’t bionic, then smiled at her wife, “I reckon Tamarind probably feels the same way about the Anima tree that Albina does, hey? I’m happy to stay here with her. I’ve died once on this planet, and it only seems right that I stay until the day it gets to keep me forever.”

“I’ll stay, but I’d like you to refrain from dying for as long as possible.” Tamarind playfully jabbed Wendy in the ribs, and the two women chuckled before glancing back at Irwin, who was watching them with a quirked eyebrow, “Cross us off the list, please. We’ll stay here.”

“There’s enough room for everyone else, then.” Irwin looked ready to wrap it up, but a cry of distress stopped him before he lay the clipboard aside.

“Wait, wait!” exclaimed Fafo, “I… I don’t want to go. I want to stay here. There are… My… I have… I have my robots!” She gestured helplessly to where Gadget, her small constructoid, was working to rebuild some power conduits while her centipede gunner Hero watched impassively, “I’ve only scratched the surface of my abilities as a mechanitor! Please, don’t be upset, but I don’t want to go!” She addressed this last comment to her husband, Kaz, standing nearby with their son, Ro.

“I’m not upset,” Kaz reassured. He absent-mindedly ruffled Ro’s hair, frowning as he considered, “In all honesty… I prefer the idea of staying, too. I helped build most of this colony. I fell in love and got married here. My son was born here. I think I’d like to stay to raise my family here.” He smiled and glanced at Wendy and Tamarind, “Besides, I’ve still got nine fingers left in case Wendy does anything stupid again and needs to be resurrected. Someone responsible ought to keep an eye on her.”

Irwin shook his head, but it didn’t hide the grin that crept across his face as he crossed the three Kaznove names off the list.

“I’ll stay, too.” Another voice called out, and Barghest stepped forward, “I know I mostly just sweep the floors here, and nobody would miss me if I left, but this place is good. I like my room. I like my chores. I like the weather here.” He rubbed his beard, then added as if it were an afterthought, “I don’t like the idea of being blown up in a ship and dying in the void without ever knowing what happened.”

“That’s certainly a risk we’ll be taking.” Irwin agreed, “Anybody else having second thoughts? Connie?”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take as long as we’re both on board.” Connie folded her arms and stuck her nose in the air, “I’m sick to death of this place! I just want to go to a nice glitterworld somewhere and get pampered! Is that too much to ask? Besides, you built the ship, dear. I have full faith in it.”

“Make sure I’m in a casket near her!” called Emerald, “We’re sisters, after all. I don’t want to be separated again.”

Irwin dutifully noted the names of his wife and sister-in-law alongside his own.

“That means there’s room for some of us to go!” blurted Kelorul, “If so many people are staying back, we can—”

“No. Not happening.” Irwin silenced him with a glare, “None of you are welcome on our ship. You’re staying right here. Build your own ship for all I care.” When Kelorul opened his mouth to object, Irwin’s glare intensified, “Don’t make me get Xanxalbur. It’s got the kill-happy trait, and it’s been waiting a long time without satisfaction.”

“Fine,” Kelorul said sulkily before he turned to tramp away with Gracie, Hot Minute, and Grump following in his footsteps. Nearby, Jesse inclined his head and watched his fellow space battle survivors leave, then strolled towards the farms at a leisurely pace, apparently content to stay behind amongst the flowers and trees of the temperate forest rather than fighting for a spot on the ship.

“I want to stay here.” Laurie drew Irwin’s attention back to the main group as she glanced sideways at Debby and Eva, “Maybe I… Maybe… Fall in love again.” Eva poked her tongue out at Laurie, but Debby winked, and Laurie flushed bright red and turned to shuffle away.

“I’m not staying here. There are adventures to have and people to kill! A whole galaxy of them!” Hazrov clenched and unclenched her fists. Her expression was hidden behind the skull mask she wore, but it was easy to imagine the sadistic glee in her eyes.

“I was going to stay, but… If Hazrov is brave enough to board that ship, so am I!” Vu stuffed her hands into her hoodie pocket, “M-mostly. I am a bit worried. It looks awfully rickety, doesn’t it? Like it would break in space.”

“We’ll find out.” Irwin shrugged.

“Will the ship break in space?” Andy, only seven years old, turned to stare at his parents with eyes as big as saucers. Kawoo knelt to gather her son into her arms.

“Of course not!” She reassured, “Your father helped build it, you know. It’s the best one I’ve ever seen! Besides, we’ll be with you the whole way, even if we’re in separate caskets.”

“I built the ship as sturdy as they come, kiddo. Don’t you worry.” Andrei patted Andy’s head. For a moment, Andy still looked troubled, but then his eyes lit up, and he pulled away from Kawoo. He hurried over to the edge of the group and caught one of Henry’s hands in his own.

“You’re coming too, aren’t you?” He said breathlessly, “I’ll be brave if you’re there, Henry. I won’t have to worry about anything hurting us! Not even space could beat you in a fight!”

“You’re crazy.” Henry did not quite manage a smile, but he clapped Andy on the shoulder in the crisp, parade-ground manner that seemed far too grown up for his small frame, “I won’t leave you for a second. I was engineered as a soldier, and I’ll be damned if I don’t use that engineering to protect the people who have protected me.”

“Language, Henry.” Irwin chided, but he was smiling as he wrote the last few names down. “Let me see… Brennan, Zonovo, Baz, Candlelight, Connie, Emerald, me, Hazrov, Vu, Kawoo, Andrei, Andy, and Henry. That leaves five cryptosleep caskets that we need to fill.”

“We could be really funny and bring the scorpion.” Connie gestured towards Frisbee, but the white-hot glare that Zonovo shot at her was enough to shut her up.

“Tempting, but we should probably use those caskets for any bonded animals. Andrei, Kawoo, you two work with animals the most. Do you want to bring any?”

“Oh, I’d be extremely grateful if we could make room for Pharaoh!” Kawoo perked up at once, “He’s big and strong, but he’s very gentle. I’d love to take him to a glitterworld and show him off! He’s a majestic creature and definitely worthy to be a space explorer. I’d feel better knowing he was close by.”

“The thrumbos are very majestic.” Irwin wrote Pharaoh’s name next to Kawoo’s on his list, “What about you, Andrei? Any animals you’re particularly close to?”

“Well, keeping on the thrumbo theme…” Andrei wrung his hands, “I’m pretty fond of Bellboy. I’ve helped raise him from birth. He’s only young, but… He could grow into something amazing. He’s trained so well. Is there room for him?”

“We have more caskets. We can fit more thrumbos.” Irwin reassured.

“If I may interject, I… I happen to be particularly close with that enormous fluffy cave bear.” Candlelight spoke up, “Witch, you know? She follows me when I go hunting. She’s very affectionate for something with such huge teeth and claws that could– and do– tear raiders to pieces. Her protection and devotion were not easily earned, and I would hate to leave her behind.”

“Two thrumbos and a cave bear. Is there anyone else we need?” Irwin jotted down a few more notes, “We have two caskets left to fill. Suggestions?”

“Brandi and Big Dipper!” Andy exclaimed, “Pharaoh would be lonely if we took him but not his wife and Brandi is pregnant anyway, so it’s like two thrumbos in one go! And they can’t leave without Big Dipper because he was their first baby, and he can keep his little brother Bellboy company.”

“Good idea, Andy.” Irwin nodded his agreement, “You’re a genius. I’m glad you’re coming with us. You too, Henry.” He checked over the clipboard one final time, tapping the pencil as he did.

Tap, tap, tap.

“Looks good.” He said at last, and tucked the pencil and the clipboard away in the pockets of his duster, “That was easy enough to sort out. Now, all that’s left to do is take off.”

So there you have it! It's both exhilarating and heartbreaking to see the end.

On the one hand, I finished a game of RimWorld for the first time!! Woo! On the other hand, I'd really grown to love Eureka and all the colonists it had. Well, I mean, almost all of them. I could take or leave Grump, Hot Minute, Gracie, and Kelorul.

Thank you again to everyone who followed along with this story. I appreciate it so much. I'm definitely going to play more RimWorld in the future, so please feel free to look forward to that! <3 <3 <3

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A Mechanitor's Message

#rimworld #gracie plays #The Animist Alliance #art #my art #traditional art #rimworld art #polished art #This has been so much fun #I have enjoyed every second of this #Do you know it's taken up four-and-a-bit sketchbooks??#I've been so inspired by this colony #RimWorld really is the game ever #I wish you all the most enjoyable time going forward #And I hope to see you all again come the next colony!!#I love you all so much #From Gracie xoxo <3 <3 <3

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lumithealien · 1 year

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Heather Baron-Gracie [sketch]

drew a quick sketch of Heather because i'm obsessed with Pale Waves lately <3

#heather baron gracie #pale waves #sketch #doodle #sketchbook #drawing #art #my art #artists on tumblr #fanart #fan art

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lizzrd-blizzrd · 1 year

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Look at my gorl!!!!! Honestly so happy with this

#yeah I just immediately made the art blog #time to forget about it and never post again!!#jk gonna fucking spam this with old art #Gracie #<—character tag #artists on tumblr #art #my art #my oc doodle #inked art #sketchbook #tw bright colors #tw teeth

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mermaidkincore · 11 months

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#mermaid #mermaidcore #mermaid aesthetic #mermaid kin #mermaid core #mermaidkin #mermaids #mermaid style #syrenka fashion #mermaid aesthetics

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veryberryjelly · 9 months

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heyy can I get a 🥐 from the hp fandom?

I am a mean but funny sarcastic Slytherin who likes drawing. I get annoyed and jealous easily. I am a straight female.

I am loyal and would literally argue for my best friends (I've done that before). I am 165 cm (5'5 approx.)

I love Maths and used to be the top of my year.

I always have my sketchbook on me to draw. I like being alone with my feelings especially outside when it's windy and quiet.

I listen to Gracie Abrams, Maisie Peters and Taylor Swift x. My taste is sad and relatable music that makes me contemplate life decisions x I listen to basically anything I relate to or like usually sad stuff but if I like how it sounds I listen to it. I have a passion for music. I also like reading xx

I like to lay in bed with closed blinds especially when it rains.

My fav colour is grey and rose grey.

I'm kind to my friends usually but I often banter with them but only if they're close. I'm introverted all the time except when I'm around my super close friends x I'm kinda mean but my friends know I'm only pretending and it's light hearted.

I have naturally curly black hair and brown eyes. I have made bad decisions and was not the best at making good friends (I am now) I am easily betrayed but I seek revenge. Not like I go through with it but I like to plan it and pretend I did.

Thanks in advance x sorry if it's too long

𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

i ship you with...

poly!dragonott !!

the three of you sitting on a bed, you at the head of it drawing the other two boys interacting at the other end.

whether there studying, sleeping or just chatting with you i feel like you have a sketchbook full of just the two of them doing miscellaneous things.

these two give very sad-girl music vibes so that is definitely one of the huge reasons i got this pairing.

these two boys are doting on you all the time. thats just something that cannot be avoided.

and they always make sure that no one is left out of anything with the three of you.

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edgylikeabutterknife · 9 months

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💙✨Howdy hey there, thanks for visiting my page!!✨💙

I'm Ellie, an aspiring artist/illustrator-- I've got 10 years of self-taught art experience, and I'm here to experiment with art and maybe make some friends along the way!!

I'm passingly into a lot of things, so they'll probably show up in my art to at least some degree!! I can't promise all of it will be SFW, either, so viewer discretion is advised!!

Here's to many posts worth of arting, moving forward!!

(Maybe at some point I'll have a link to a commissions post to put here...) [Image ID: a petite anime girl with curly brown hair, in an oversized, teal turtleneck sweater and pleated, charcoal-color miniskirt stands cutely against a pink background-- they wink at the viewer, left hand up in an angled peace-sign. They kick a leg out cutely, making their skirt flip up in such a way to add movement to the pose. To their immediate right, three objects sit scattered in the image as though stuck on like stickers: A sketchbook with pencil and pen, a bottle and can of a soda with a red label (bubbles floating between them), and a dark-blue saddle bag with jellyfish patterns. At their feet, a small, grey cat lays sleeping. An arrow points her out as being named "Gracie". In the top right and bottom right corner, dark-pink text boxes filled with light teal text list out information, bulleted by bright-teal hearts: 09/09 (virgo), 21, +10 years of art, Hobbyist...unless? (bashful emoji), college student. Then, the second box lists: Jellyfish, math/biology/physics (passingly), Horror, Anime/manga, Weird music, Batman/DC, Historical Dress, Stickers! End ID.]

#artists on tumblr #digital art #pinned post #introduction #blog intro #bio #digital artist #intro post #My Bread n Butter!

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whimsicalworldofme · 2 years

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Saving Grace: Chapter Twelve

(Sorry I forgot to update here last week! I’m going to post 4 chapters today to catch up)

Steve and Grace are reunited and it feels so good.

The flight to D.C. left early, at six AM, which meant Grace had to be up and ready to leave the house at four. By the time Jarvis prompted her to get out of bed, she’d already been laying there with her eyes open for ages, too excited to actually sleep.

“What hotel are you staying at?” Tony asked as they drove the hour to LAX from their home in Malibu. “Did you give them my credit card?”

“Dad, I told you, I’m staying with Steve,” she knew he didn’t want to hear it, but maybe if she said it enough times he’d understand. “He said I can crash on his couch.”

“You know, Gracie, men that age, they’re only after one thing,” he carried on.

“Oh? What’s that?” She chuckled.

“Someone young and able-bodied to change their diapers and give them sponge baths as they slowly decline.” He stated it with full seriousness, which made her laugh even harder.

“He’s my friend and I wanted a chance to hang out with him, that’s all. And as a shrink, I wanted to make sure he’s adjusting all right to living on his own,” she lied. “He’s going to show me the sights, since I’ve never been to D.C. before. I’ll take in some history, see if there’s any work for S.H.I.E.L.D. I can bring back home with me, and just generally have a nice little vacation.”

“Last time I was in D.C. I was on trial,” Tony muttered. “But I guess I can see how it might appeal to some as a vacation destination.”

He dropped her off curbside at the airport, getting out of the car to pull her suitcase out of the trunk. Giving her a tight hug, he kissed her on the top of the head and sighed.

“Say hi to Capsicle for me,” he relinquished his hold on her. “And give Fury a little trouble, will you? Since I can’t do it myself.”

“Sure,” Grace laughed, pulling up the handle on her little rolling suitcase and adjusting the backpack on her shoulder. “Be good, Dad. I love you.”

“Love you too, kid,” he smiled, those soft brown eyes of his crinkling at the corners and lighting with joy.

Her sleepless night caught up with her on the plane and she slept for most of the five-hour flight. When they landed, she stopped in one of the terminal restrooms to check her appearance in the mirror. She had dressed casually, wearing tailored black jeans and a tee shirt with a print of cartoon corgis on it under a cozy black cardigan. She had wanted to dress up, but her dad would’ve asked questions she couldn’t answer honestly if she got too dolled up.

And besides, Steve doesn’t really care what I wear. He’s used to seeing me in everything from pajamas to dresses.

Weaving her way around other travelers moving with less conviction, she made her way to luggage claim, which is where Steve had said he’d meet her. Her heart hammered in her ears as she rode the escalator down to that level, her eyes scanning the room. When she spotted him, standing there with his hands in his jeans pockets, wearing a baseball cap with the NASA logo and a sky blue Henley under a navy blue jacket, she felt her heart flip-flop.

No one seemed to notice that Captain America was standing right there. With his hands in his pockets, his posture shrunk inward enough that no one paid him much attention and the hat helped to shield his identity, he looked like just any other guy.

A bright, uncontrollable smile lit Steve’s face when he caught sight of her, and he looked as though every worry in his life had vanished. As soon as she stepped off the escalator, he scooped her into his arms, her feet leaving the ground as he hugged her tightly. Grace threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of his skin, enjoying the familiar security of his arms.

“I knew you’d come,” he confessed with a grin as he finally set her to her feet. “Though there was a tiny fear in the back of my mind that Tony opened that sketchbook before you.”

“Oh my god, could you imagine?” Grace laughed. “He would’ve been suited up and at your door within the day.” She rolled her eyes and Steve let out a half-hearted, nervous chuckle. “I really missed you,” she watched a pleased blush creep across his cheeks.

“I missed you too,” he smiled. Someone hollered “Steve!” across the baggage claim, making his head pop up, but it was for someone else. “Come on, let’s get out of here before someone recognizes me,” he took her hand.

As they took the metro to his apartment, Steve caught her up on his new day to day life, the things he liked about the city. He carried her suitcase in one hand and held her hand in the other as they walked, chatting and laughing, the rest of the world forgotten as they made up for lost time. His new place was on a relatively quiet, tree-lined street full of old historic rowhomes. It seemed fitting for him, comfortable in its age, a bit artsy, definitely charming.

“It’s smaller than what you’re used to,” Steve warned as he turned the key and let her in. “But since it’s just me, I like it.”

He ushered her into a light-filled room, one whole wall full of windows that overlooked the street. It looked exactly like he’d drawn it, with their slouchy old leather couch, small tv, the tiny kitchen with no more than two square feet of counter space, and the little table and chairs that they’d shared so many meals and moments at together. Off to the other side was the bathroom and the open door to Steve’s bedroom, which held his simple bed with white sheets, made with military precision.

“I think it’s lovely,” Grace turned to face him and saw he’d taken his cap off. “You cut your hair,” she exclaimed in surprise and watched a flash of panic cross his face. It was a more modern look, a little more spiky, less fluffy, but it suited him. “It looks good,” she smiled and watched him relax again.

“Nat kept telling me I looked like a boy scout, which I gathered was bad, so I figured it was time for an update,” he chuckled, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it and his keys on a hook by the door. He plucked up her suitcase again and held it in one hand, shuffling into the living room. “So, you can take the bed. I know you don’t sleep well on a couch, so I’ll sleep out here.”

“Or,” Grace didn’t know how comfortable he would be with the proposition, but figured she’d give it a shot anyway, “we could both sleep in the bed and neither one of us will have to suffer on the couch.” She watched the tops of his ears go pink and he let out a laugh, eyes scrunching a little. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” he shook his head. He kept his head down slightly, but glanced up at her, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to presume—”

“Steve, I flew across the country to spend a week with you,” she pointed out.

“Yes, you did.” Setting her suitcase down, he stepped closer to her, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his chest, grinning down at her. “I’m gonna kiss you now.”

“Please do,” she snickered.

Leaning down, he started slow, brushing his lips like a light whisper against hers. Grace shut her eyes happily and as he kissed her again, deeper, more passionately, she slipped her arms around his neck, holding him closer. Her fingers scratched lightly at the nape of his neck and into his hair. The hunger from their first kiss had only grown and he pressed his body to hers, kissing her until he finally, reluctantly, pulled back, both of them breathless.

“We should—” his brilliant blue eyes met hers, clearly hesitant, searching for a cue on what she wanted to do next.

“Mhmm,” Grace nodded. “Maybe go see the sights?”

With a nod and one final, lingering kiss, Steve stepped back and relinquished his hold on her hips. Grace watched him go as he plucked up her suitcase and took it to the bedroom. She couldn’t stop smiling, touching her fingertips to her lips, and admiring how nice he looked, even from the back in just jeans and a cotton shirt.

“Ready?” He came back into the room and she nodded. “Good.”

They took the metro to the National Mall. As they walked along, hand in hand, just another couple in the crowd, Steve asked her questions about the projects she was working on with her father’s company, down to minute details, endeavoring to understand all the fine details and beaming at the giddy excited way she bounced a little on the balls of her feet as she talked about it. He laughed as she told him about all the mischief she and Tony got up to together in his workshop. He told her what details he could about his work with S.H.I.E.L.D., running missions with Agent Romanoff, getting more into modern things. Their conversation was peppered with Steve pointing out the different monuments. They stopped at a local ice cream shop and got cones, rocky road for him, mint chip for her.

“I had to get my driver’s license,” he said off-handed as conversation shifted to upcoming elections, since they were in D.C. after all. “Had to take a driving test and everything.”

“Wait, didn’t you have a license before?” Grace eyed him suspiciously, finishing her cone. “The government couldn’t like, make an exception to just renew it?”

“I never got one before,” he shrugged.

They got back to his apartment and he fumbled for a moment with the keys. Grace took a deep breath, enjoying the air conditioning after being in the swampy humidity of the city.

“You seriously never got a license?” She thought about all the photos and news reels she’d seen of him driving different vehicles. “You drove trucks and motorcycles. You flew planes.”

“In the military, they give you training and a special license for whatever equipment they want you to drive,” he explained, hanging his keys on the hook while Grace turned on the lights. “Before the serum, I couldn’t even really see over the wheel of a car anyway, so…”

Grace cracked up and watched the slow smile creep over Steve’s lips and he let out a little snicker. She dropped to a seat on the couch.

“I wouldn’t have been able to eat that ice cream either,” he added, plopping down next to her. “I was allergic to pretty much everything.”

“Hmm,” Grace paused, squinting for a minute before she flashed him an impish smile, one that she knew she’d inherited from her dad, even before she met him. “What about latex?”

Steve sputtered, laughing, as his face turned bright red. He shook his head.

“I mean, I don’t want to be presumptuous,” she kept going, scooting a little closer to him. “But if you wanted to give it a try, we could.”

“I’m not sure what you’re suggesting is how I want to test if that particular allergy is gone,” he stated. “Do you want to be the one to call an ambulance for that sort of allergic reaction?”

Playfully, Grace shifted and climbed into Steve’s lap, sitting face to face, her hands on his shoulders. He grinned, looking up at her, and bit his bottom lip. Grabbing her hips, he held her close, giving her a little tug. She used her fingertips to scratch lightly into his hair, which made him shut his eyes and hum happily.

“If you’re willing to risk it,” she leaned in and pressed a whisper soft kiss to his lips, “I promise, I will call 911 if anything bad happens. But nothing bad is going to happen.”

He smiled into her kiss then deepened it.

“I won’t know what to do,” he pulled away from her, suddenly timid, gaze falling. “I’ve never—”

Grace hooked a finger under his chin and made him look up at her.

“Then you’ll just have to do exactly as I tell you,” she said with a smirk. “You can take orders, can’t you Captain?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he locked eyes with her and grinned.

He stood up, catching her off guard, but he kept her in his grasp as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He strode confidently to the bedroom, kissing her as he went, and kicked the door shut behind them with his heel.

Chapter 11

Masterlist

Chapter 13

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pkducklett · 1 year

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I posted 9,854 times in 2022

That's 1,745 more posts than 2021!

13 posts created (0%)

9,841 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@abluescarfonwaston

@featheredcritter

@digitalstowaway

@dilf-phoenix-rights

I tagged 8,086 of my posts in 2022

Only 18% of my posts had no tags

#ace attorney - 3,755 posts

#vid - 1,127 posts

#birbs - 976 posts

#tf2 - 725 posts

#nintendo - 403 posts

#great ace attorney - 321 posts

#all aboard the feels train - 309 posts

#ref - 292 posts

#dnd - 209 posts

#christmas - 197 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#musicals... my parents have a lot of embarrassing anecdotes about me singing along to musicals when i was like 3 and didn't understand them

My Top Posts in 2022:

No scary April Fool's joke. Only Gracie sleeping in her chair.

1 note - Posted April 1, 2022

How are we feeling this Sunday morning? Needing some Gracie content? Well she woke up and decided to "play" with her mom's backpack strap.

2 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

My discord friends and I were discussing whether Nahyuta Sahdmadhi could be considered a girlboss.

One of them made a meme out of my response:

Image IDs under read more:

Image ID 1: A picture of Nahyuta Sahdmadhi from Ace Attorney 6 (Aka Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice). The caption is: “Gender is dead and I’m prosecuting its murderer.”

Image ID 2: A screenshot of a discord post dated 03/02/2022 and says: “Also idk why this didn't occur to me until now. Sahdmadhi is male. At least, that's the pronouns used for him. It's still valid to call him a girl boss cause gender is dead and he's the prosecution on that murder case, but still.”

End IDs

4 notes - Posted March 13, 2022

Tonight I just want to share pictures of Misha. He has grown into quite the character of a cat.

He is quite cuddly.

See the full post

5 notes - Posted July 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

So @collabwithmyself‘s Ace Attorney Warriors au has activated the “must draw cats” sleeper agent in my brain. (Idk how many of you have followed my online trail, but there are almost 10 years worth of old art on places like DeviantArt where I drew nothing but cats that entire time). So, I decided to have a go at drawing some of the cats listed in the allegiance, but weren’t actually drawn yet so they didn’t have designs.

Here we have the current nursery population of Stoneclan (defense attorneys). Overall pretty happy with how this picture turned out and how the designs look. I have a better design idea for Morningkit (Klavier), that would make him look more like his brother, but this picture was done before I got that so it’s fine for now. Also I know I said I wanted to do cats without designs but Moonkit (Athena) did have one already and I wasn’t going to change it. I hope I did her well. It wasn’t easy picking out oranges that matched from my collection of colored pencils.

Some character ideas/notes under read more if you’re interested, also the full page pic of my sketchbook I took: (Disclaimer before going in though - this isn’t my au. These are just my own ideas about theoretically what could happen. Without confirmation/a full story from the creator, these are not to be treated as though they will happen.)

Overall: Moonkit and Morningkit were the only two born into the clans. Skykit and Sunkit came later, after they were already a few moons old. By the beginning of the story, the kits are pretty close to becoming apprentices, which is a good thing because Moondance is the sole queen in the nursery and is ready to return to her normal medicine cat duties full-time again. Morningkit is undoubtedly the leader of this troop of kits, or at least he’s the more confident of the bunch. Sunkit is certainly the loudest, but also the one least likely to get caught up in mischievous antics unless it’s to scold the group by telling them how ridiculous they’re being. Moonkit is very high energy and playful, always willing to go on an adventure. Skykit is the most passive of the group, less willing to lead a charge, but just along for the ride.

Moonkit/paw/storm (Athena): Moonkit is the daughter of the Stoneclan medicine cat. I’m thinking that after the clans stopped believing in their warrior ancestors and Starclan, that they removed some of the more “problematic” or just plain dumb parts of the warrior code such as the rules about medicine cat relationships. Moondance (Metis) probably mated with like a loner so the father of her kit is very much not in the picture. The litter with Moonkit wasn’t very big (probably with only like a second kit that was stillborn), but the time and energy of being a single mother was taking a toll on her. Thankfully, her apprentice Blackpaw (Simon) and his sister/Moondance’s friend Swiftquill (Aura) have taken quite an interest in helping her care for her daughter. Blackpaw in particular has made it a point of pride to help protect his mentor’s kit and makes sure she is being well cared for.

Morningkit/paw/song (Klavier): So in this, Honeythroat (Kristoph) and Morningkit are biological full brothers, just from distinct litters. I’m thinking their father passed before Morningkit’s litter was born, and their mother passed after. Unlike Moonkit, Morningkit was part of a larger litter. I’m thinking that shortly after the litter was born, his mother got very sick with an upper respiratory infection and the whole family (mother and kits) was put into quarantine. Moondance wasn’t allowed to help their treatment because of her being pregnant/a new mother herself. Not that it would’ve helped much anyway, there wasn’t much anyone could do. Morningkit was the sole survivor of the infection, a miracle that he made it out okay and had no damage to his voice. He was still very young so was given to Moondance as a foster. Honeythroat took particular interest in the nursery kits after Morningkit’s recovery and has become a staple to see around the nursery, doting on his brother or dispensing wisdom to the others. I’m thinking that part of Honeythroat and Morningkit’s strained relationship has to do with how overprotective and overbearing his brother becomes.

Skykit/paw/spot (Clay): Skykit wasn’t born in the clans, but was the child of a loner cat who lived near to the Stoneclan territory. He was found as the survivor of his litter by a Stoneclan patrol after their mother left to find them food and didn’t come back (she was likely hit by a car). He was in dire shape when he was brought back, but bounced back pretty quickly. Moondance didn’t need to take a full-time mother role for Skykit since he was already at the age where he could eat fresh kill but he still does snuggle with her and the other kits at night.

Sunkit/paw/call (Apollo): No one knows where Sunkit came from, and he’s not willing/able to tell them. It was quite the surprise when a small kitten charged into Stoneclan camp one morning. He was old enough to eat prey, but still tiny enough that it didn’t look like his small legs should’ve carried him that far. His scent was unfamiliar to the clan cats who couldn’t recognize it more than it being from “quite far away”. He didn’t really ask, more demanded, to be allowed to stay.

Concluding notes/ideas about story: Shortly into the beginning of the story, these four are made apprentices of Stoneclan. Moonpaw is mentored by Swiftquill, Morningpaw is mentored by Bushpelt (Raymond), Skypaw is mentored by Darkpelt (Hammond) then later (because *cough* reasons) by Whiskerstep (Grossberg), and Sunpaw is mentored by Honeythroat. Something happens (not entirely sure what), early into their training that convinces Morningpaw to leave Stoneclan and join Thornclan. The other apprentices are hurt by this, especially Sunpaw who sees this as a total betrayal. Surprisingly, his brother, Honeythroat, isn’t all too worried about his little brother leaving and in fact rationalizes it as a good thing because it will help strengthen ties between the two clans. The UR-1 incident is still a thing that happens, closely to when the three remaining Stoneclan apprentices are to become warriors. Moondance is killed by a rogue cat (the Phantom) and her daughter is the one to find her mother’s body. I’m thinking that instead of putting himself on death row for the murder of Moondance, that Blackquill instead leaves Stoneclan to hunt down the Phantom himself, leaving Stoneclan without a medicine cat. Swiftquill places a lot of her grief/hurt over Moondance’s death and her brother’s absence onto her apprentice. Moonpaw doesn’t have a good time much at all. This is where a lot devolves into my own crack theory ideas of where the story could project and that involves Moonclan and Stoneclan joining into one clan by where the ending of Bridge to the Turnabout would be... And involves Sagepaw (Maya) being made into the first Starclan appointed clan leader in a long time so she’s Sagestar now. Goldenheart (Phoenix) is her deputy, and she has Iriscloud (Iris) fill in as medicine cat. This then leads into the case with Goldenheart trying to help a group of loner cats (the Gramayres) solve the death of their leader. Thornclan gets involved and young Morningpaw catches Goldenheart trying to use faulty evidence to defend one of them (Zak) and calls him out on it. It doesn’t help that other cats in this case begin disappearing as well. Goldenheart runs away into exile (disbarment), and Morningpaw is made into a warrior, Moningsong. If there was to be a story picked up about these characters, I can see it beginning at the start of what would be AA4. Sunpaw is now Suncall, and as a newly made warrior he’s trying to navigate the hardships of warrior life in this newly arranged clan as he discovers dark secrets lurking behind some of the tightest corners. And a mysterious young cat who calls herself Magicpaw (Trucy) comes to him with a request: to help protect her father.

If you made it to the bottom of this super long info-dump on an au that wasn’t even started by me... congratulations. Here’s the full sketch page pic I promised:

See the full post

46 notes - Posted February 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #ducklett speaks #wow. most of my top posts were gracie. love that.#totally not a surprise that ace attorney was my top tag

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